Tropicana rolls out new functional juices

PepsiCo's Tropicana brand has added a sub-line of fortified juices
to its range, including an immune-boosting variety with selenium,
increasing its activites in the functional beverages sector.

To be called Pure Premium Essentials, the five new varieties are
part of the Tropicana Pure Premium line that includes orange juice
with added vitamins.

The new juices feature a 'Light 'n Healthy' product, with
one-third less sugar and calories than orange juice, 'Healthy
Heart', with six vitamins and minerals shown to reduce risk factors
for cardiovascular disease and 'Immunity Defense', which contains
the antioxidant vitamins C and E as well as selenium.

There is also a 'Low Acid' juice and a variety for children with
vitamins and minerals designed to boost immunity and build strong
bones and a child-friendly taste.

"Different life stages, lifestyles and health concerns
require customized nutrition to deliver 'what is best for me,' and
Essentials meets those needs without compromising taste,"​ he
said.

In the US, around 21 per cent of the population is estimated to
be obese, up from just 12 per cent in 1991. This trend is set to
have a major impact on weight management foods. Scott Van Winkle,
Better Food and Nutrition analyst at Adams, Harkness & Hill,
suggests that the 2004 diet season could be the strongest to date
and have a positive impact on stocks that cater to weight loss.

Tropicana's Light 'n Healthy, said to be the only reduced
calorie orange juice available in the chilled juice section, is
made by a proprietary, patent-pending process to reduce sugar and
calories by one-third, apparently without compromising taste or
nutrition.

The functional beverages sector is one of the fastest growing
food and drink categories with consumption across the United
States, Japan and 16 West European countries passing the 12 billion
litre mark in 2002, according to UK-based consultants Zenith
International.

Sports drinks held 62 per cent of the US functional soft drinks
market in 2002 but 'enriched beverages', such as vitamin-fortified
juices, are also a significant portion, held tightly by Tropicana
and Coca-Cola's Minute Maid. Minute Maid recently launched a
'heart-healthy' orange juice with added phytosterols.

Tropicana Pure Premium Essentials will be packaged in 64-ounce
cartons and priced the same as all other Pure Premium 64-ounce
products.